


Perishable Foods

by rabbitprint



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-04
Updated: 2012-05-04
Packaged: 2019-07-15 19:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16069769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabbitprint/pseuds/rabbitprint
Summary: KH1/CoM/KH2-canon only. Drabble for Siren's Puli, post-CoM, early KH2. Prompt: 'Expired Red Bull in The World That Never Was, and who drank it. And why.'





	Perishable Foods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Siren's Puli](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Siren%27s+Puli).



The drink that Demyx pulled out of the Castle's fridge was nothing like what he'd actually been _looking_ for.

The last world he'd been sent to had been normal enough, by Organization standards -- which meant that he'd been able to breathe air through his nose and walk on two feet. Between dodging murderous young girls in brightly colored outfits who kept summoning heavy artillery from nowhere, Demyx had managed to discover a corner store that sold delightful cans of what turned out to be melon juice. Melon _creme_ , the label said, but he didn't care about the distinction. He'd stashed an entire box behind the milk cartons, just last week. 

His melon creme cans were a soothing, minty green. _This_ soda was a garish eyesore. Two red cows charged at each other in front of a yellow blob of a sun, surrounded by a checkered grey and blue landscape. Its sugar-free label was declared proudly in scarlet lettering. And what was glucuronolactone _anyway_?

It wasn't a beverage he could see anyone but Axel drinking, but when he turned it over, curious for any additional ingredients, the expiration stamp at the bottom was several _years_ past due. 

Clearly, this had belonged to someone who was either very forgetful, or dead.

Or both.

It had been a while since Demyx had come across anything left behind by the deceased members of Organization XIII. Most of it had been disposed of in a rush. The reason had nothing to do with mourning: when the topic had been broached to Xemnas, the Superior had suggested simply _unmaking_ large chunks of the Castle, and had proceeded to demonstrate by shearing off an entire staircase.

 _Efficient_ , Xemnas had called it. _Tidy._

Demyx rolled the metal can gingerly in his fingers, and stared at the label, hoping for any clues.

Vexen's science experiments came instantly to mind. This soda could actually have been a component for some kind of alchemical disaster, which would make sense -- the ingredient list looked pretty shady, and might have ended up mutating into all kinds of things over time. Soda was just supposed to be sugar water, caffeine, carbonation and favors, but who _knew_ what Vexen could have collected? The can might secretly be primed to dissolve all living flesh around it for miles.

Then again, it could just be a soda.

Was it really Axel's after all? Maybe the can was being saved as a memory of Roxas, from all the times those two would skip around off-duty in Twilight Town. Demyx frowned, weighing the drink in his hand. Was it possible to use an object to connect it to another person somehow, maybe by keeping a memory magically tied to it? Was there a secret plan to reawaken Roxas with Vitamin B12?

The possibilities tugged at Demyx's mind. Luxord was another possibility. Was Luxord able to manipulate time so he could enjoy his food at peak condition? (And, more importantly: _totally_ unfair if he could.) If so, that would explain a _lot_ about Demyx's experiences with the Organization's fridge. It might explain a lot about the wine cellar, too.

Or, more likely, did it simply belong to someone who had been in Castle Oblivion -- a last forlorn trinket that proved they had once existed? Everything else had been disposed of. This soda can might be the last object that Zexion or Lexaeus had called their own. And if Demyx tossed it away without even an acknowledgement, it would be like throwing away the very last mark of their lives -- letting their existences perish with a rattle of the garbage bag, or maybe the recycle bin.

He was in debate over if he should just leave it anonymously on the table or not when Xemnas swept in, took one look at the situation, and plucked the can from Demyx's hand.

"Thank you," he remarked -- as coolly polite as if he expected people to just stand around holding out refreshments all the time -- and cracked the seal.

Demyx blinked, too late to try and grab for it back. "Hey," he blurted, "that's -- "

Xemnas finished the drink off in three swallows.

" -- expired," Demyx finished lamely. And then stood there watching, because _wow_ , if he was going to watch the Superior explode, no one would believe it had happened because of an old soda.

Xemnas crooked an eyebrow. "Sorry, was that your last one?"

"No! No. Um." Rapidly having second thoughts about being in the blast radius once the chemicals hit -- or at least the caffeine -- Demyx took a step back. Because, seriously, how _did_ you point out something like that to a person who had already demonstrated a considerable enthusiasm for genocide? And also: damn, even if the soda wasnt toxic through age, it still was a _lot_ of sugarfree-whatever to consume at once. Xemnas hadn't even twitched. 

Which was kind of creepy.

"You know, I think I'm just going to go now," Demyx said hastily, ignoring the way that Xemnas's eyes kept following him, like a cat waiting for a mouse to finish flailing its tiny paws so the technicalities of dinner could commence. He edged towards the nearest door. "Work, you know. Work. Gotta get on that before Xaldin gets grumpy again! Or grumpier. Ha ha. Anyway. Uh. Have fun!"

Xemnas tilted his head forward in a slow, expectant nod, his gaze unwavering with curiosity.

Not daring to risk a portal, Demyx darted for the hall. He only glanced back once -- long enough to confirm that Xemnas was still watching him -- and then put as much distance between himself and the kitchen as he could on foot. No one followed him; there were no ominous detonations, no bursts of Darkness or screaming or chaos. The afternoon remained quiet. Only one thing that kept bothering him, no matter how much he tried to put the incident out of his mind.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Xemnas was _smiling_.


End file.
